


sapphic serpents

by spicywonton



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: #choni #riverdale #slowburn, #slow, F/F, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-19
Updated: 2018-05-19
Packaged: 2019-05-08 20:02:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14701203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spicywonton/pseuds/spicywonton
Summary: Cheryl has built a wall around herself, attacking everyone as though to keep them from breaking it down. But then, someone who she least expects to meet catches her at a vulnerable time and teaches her that it’s okay to trust someone.





	sapphic serpents

Cheryl furiously wipes at the tears welling in her eyes with her free hand. She can't believe she just told sapphic serpent Toni Topaz the one secret she's been keeping for almost five years. Sapphic, maybe that's why she told her, Cheryl laughs sourly to herself. She takes a moment to gather her composure before snipping away with as much spite her voice can muster which isn't much at the moment, to be honest.  
"Don't expect this to be a regular thing, you just caught me at an emotional time." She primps and preens, cleaning the smudged mascara, wiping away the lone tear stain that fell down her cheek, all in an effort to save face. This was not signature Cheryl Bombshell behavior, and she refused to let one evening of insecurity destroy the fierce, stone cold personality she spent years building up. All for what? Cause she's feeling lonely. Get over it. Cheryl Blossom, top of Riverdale High's social ladder can't be bothered to feel such things. She's the 'it' girl, the queen bee. People in her position aren't supposed to be sad and lonely, they are the ones surrounded by followers, people who want to be her, to date her, however superficial it may be.  
Cheryl may have spent the whole evening with Toni, but that didn't make them friends. Blossom's don't associate with snakes. Although, Cheryl wonders why now she's so attached to the family name when she was so eager to be stript of it just the other week. A defense mechanism perhaps, after the way she opened up so quickly, so earnestly, so willingly.  
Five years she Cheryl had kept that secret. Half the people who knew were dead, leaving only herself and her mother. Lord knows Mrs. Blossom wasn't going to be spreading this gossip. She had been so careful for five years, and all it took was one evening with some Southside serpent to unveil her deepest darkest memory. Cheryl felt uneasy thinking about what this fact meant. The truth, her truth was out there, in the hands of a snake. All the internal musings and the physical reactions screaming to tread lightly, rebuild the walls, made Cheryl jump into defense mode. "Don't expect this to be a regular thing, you just caught me at an emotional time." Her voice, though missing its usual bite, never wavered. Strong enunciated words that cut the air between them.  
"I wouldn't expect any less." Toni pulls back, arms up in mock surrender. The way she reacts catches Cheryl off guard. Much like in the restroom earlier that morning, Toni seemed unphased by Cheryl's venom, immune to the power of her hard stare and cutthroat dialogue.  
Cheryl merely swallows hard in response, her composure once again cracking under Toni's kind gaze. "Good." Any further attempt at words would only give way to the dam of emotions rushing through her head.  
"Let me ask you this though, while you are in this emotional state," Toni begins, slowly inching closer to Cheryl, "why do you feel the need to shut everyone out? Including yourself." She adds those two words softly, having a good idea of the kind of internal struggle Cheryl must be having with herself regarding this information. She had been there herself once.  
It was so blunt, Cheryl wasn't used to getting spoken to like that, in a way that was both direct and stern, but also held so much empathy. Few people ever dared speak to Cheryl like that, Veronica and Josie for example. However, both of them lacked the balance between straight shooter and caring friend that Toni expressed in literally every word she's spoken to her this evening.  
'You're sensational' rings in Cheryl's ears, those two words echoing like a mantra in her mind. A word she's never heard anyone describe her as before. Sensational, producing a startling effect, strong reaction, or intense interest. What makes Toni so interested in Cheryl in the first place? Could she tell she had a secret to hide? Her gaydar somehow sensing there was more to Cheryl's story than she let on. And why does she care that she's closed off? She wants nothing more than to angrily throw these questions Toni's way, but the soft ringing of 'you're not loveless, you're not deviant' stops her. If she could just believe those words for a moment...  
"I'm scared." A whisper. The truth. Two words that show more vulnerability than she's allowed all evening. Cheryl inhales deeply, the feeling of wet tears rolling down her face, and Toni's warm hand once again wrapped around her own is all she can focus on.  
It's a precarious moment between the two of them. Sitting in the middle of the counter at Pop's diner, surrounded by students and families enjoying their dinner. Cheryl feels both isolated and encompassed from the weight of her words. The contact between them acting as an axis between her own burden, and Toni's liberation. A transfer of power in process.  
Cheryl takes a few moments to regulate her physical reactions, steady her breathing, relax her shoulders, unclench her jaw. A wave of relief washes down her spine allowing her to sit up straighter. Meanwhile Toni is silent and patient. Her thumb slowly gliding over Cheryl's knuckles. Her gentle gaze fixated on Cheryl's eyes, waiting for contact.  
Two more words leave Cheryl's mouth in that moment, and she's shocked to hear them, by the look on Toni's face more so than she is, "help me."  
Is it a question or a command? It's hard to say. Inflection teetering in the edge, the crack in Cheryl's voice merely adding to the confusion. Two words that reveal more about Cheryl as a person, than perhaps the whole story she just told. Help me. Cheryl was not one to ask for help from anyone, a strong independent woman who saw others as unnecessary obstacles, or so everyone would think. Little did they know about the scared and lonely girl she really was deep down inside. Those two words proved just that.  
Toni closes the remaining space between them, which at this point wasn't much, sitting up against Cheryl, thighs and shoulders pressed together. She cautiously wraps an arm around Cheryl's waist and waits for the reaction. Anyone's first guess is an outburst, Cheryl violently distancing herself from the girl spewing obscenities like 'keep your sapphic serpent hands off me' but she reacts in the last way people would expect.  
Cheryl leans her head on Toni's shoulder and draws at the hand resting on her hip. If it weren't for the fact they were still sitting on stools, Cheryl would have fully turned into the embrace, needing a hug right now more than anything, but she'll take whatever contact she can get at this point.  
It's quiet. Nothing but the muffled sounds of the other diner patrons mulling in the background. Cheryl appreciates the silence, wanting to revel in Toni's company rather than begin an intense therapy session. They sit for what feels like hours, holding on to each other, no words passed between them. In reality, only a few minutes fall off the clock, but it's enough.  
Toni breaks the silence accidentally, by slurping the rest of her milkshake. Cheryl raises her head, giving Toni a meek glare, to which Toni quietly mouths "sorry."  
Cheryl rolls her tongue across her bottom lip, words caught, and she's not sure if she should voice them. "You know, you're not so bad...for a serpent." Cheryl adds as an afterthought, still trying to hold herself on a higher power position despite the low she's been riding on through this evening.  
"That's almost a compliment." Toni teases, lightening the mood around them.  
"You should be so lucky to receive such high praise from the queen of Riverdale." Cheryl mocks along. Playing up her pretentious nature by fanning herself.  
Toni steals a fry from Cheryl's plate, as hers were already eaten, and points it in Cheryl's direction using it like a wand for emphasis. "Not so fast, queen of North side sure. But where I'm from," referring to the south side, "I run things."  
"I thought Jughead was your fearless leader." Cheryl counters.  
"Pfft so he thinks. I'm the one really in control of those boys." Toni alludes to her gang of misfits, which includes Fangs and Sweetpea.  
Cheryl's almost impressed. "So, we have more in common than you'd think." She muses with a small grin, tongue caught between her teeth.  
Toni finally takes a bite of the fry she's been waving around. She mulls over Cheryl's words. She's not sure if she intended them to be so, dare she think, flirtatious, but given the context of their earlier conversation, Toni entertains the thought for a moment. "Seems like it." She steals another fry, narrowly escaping Cheryl's unappreciative swat.  
With all the heaviness out of the air, the two continue to enjoy their meal in each other's company. Laughter ringing out every now and then. They end up staying and talking for hours, the crowd thinning around them until they were the only two left in the diner.  
"We're about to close up ladies, anything I can do for you before you go?" The friendly voice of Pop Tate pulls them out of their conversation. They look around and notice the empty tables for the first time. Cheryl's almost embarrassed about the situation, but internally she's elated that someone actively chose to spend that much time with her, especially toni. She can't remember the last time she went out with a friend, maybe that's because Cheryl didn't really have any. Sure, there was Josie, and even Veronica at times, but they both exist within other tighter knit relationships, Josie with the pussycats, though less so as of late, she did happen to be spending an awful lot of time with Reggie, and did she see her with Kevin earlier? And Veronica had Betty, Archie, and even Jughead. They exist without her.  
Since Jason's death, Cheryl hasn't really had anyone to just hang out with. It's like the only time anyone comes around is in the aftermath if a tragedy. They came around after hearing about Jason's death, they surround her after Nick St. Clair tries to rape her, they even save her from herself when she tries to commit suicide, but where are they when there isn't some outright tragedy to stir their concern? Why doesn't anyone want to just be with Cheryl in the regular old, mundane moments?  
The real question Cheryl should be pondering right now rather, was why did Toni want to spend those uneventful times with her? When Toni first spoke to her in the bathroom this morning, she didn't know Cheryl's tragic backstory. At the movies, she didn't ask her to join her out of pity, despite Cheryl revealing some rather sad information. No, she actually wanted to spend time with Cheryl.  
"Should we call it a night?" Cheryl asks timidly. It's late, but she doesn't want the night to end. They obviously have to leave here, so maybe it is best to pack it up and go home.  
Toni slumps back on her stool. "I guess we should." There's a sadness to her tone that Cheryl doesn't pick up on. It seems she didn't want the night to end just yet either. They gather up their things, pay their tabs, and exit the diner, the bell behind them loudly ringing in the quiet night.  
Toni walks with Cheryl to her car. "Here give me your phone." She commands Cheryl holding her hand out. Cheryl does as she's told, silently eyeing Toni the whole time. Toni enters her number in the new contact screen.  
"Seriously a snake." Cheryl laughs heartily upon seeing the snake emoji at the end of Toni's name.  
"What I figured you were into that sort of thing." Toni shrugs laughing along. "Cheryl Bombshell" She was definitely going to add the cherry and bomb emojis behind Cheryl's name in her phone. "We should do this again sometime. That is if you're ever willing to associate with a serpent." Toni suggests, understanding the conflict of social hierarchy.  
Cheryl hums and pretends to mull it over, not wanting to seem too eager, but the wide smile never leaves her face. "I think that can be arranged."  
They stand in an awkward silence for a moment, both unsure of how to say goodbye. "Drive safe." Toni speaks up pointing to the car behind Cheryl.  
Cheryl turns around, "oh right, you too." She opens her door, though not moving to get in. "Thanks for tonight." Cheryl speaks in earnest.  
"Anytime." Toni nods. "I'd hug you, but I'm not sure-" and before she can continue that thought, Cheryl cuts her off by wrapping her arms around Toni's shoulders and burying her face in her neck. Toni reciprocates the action, wrapping her arms around Cheryl's waist.  
Cheryl clings to Toni's shirt longer than she probably should, but Toni doesn't think anything of it, understanding that Cheryl needs this. When they break apart, Toni throws a wink Cheryl's way. "Don't forget to text me so I've got your number too." She points to the phone in Cheryl's hand. "I'll see you tomorrow."  
And with those words, Cheryl nods and sinks into her car. She doesn't even wait till she gets home to type out a message.  
'I'm thinking, lunch tomorrow, I just might be able to make time for a snake.'  
She puts the phone down and starts the car, not expecting a response right yet, but just before she can put the car in reverse, her phone buzzes.  
Toni Topaz lights up on the screen: “Sounds like a date Miss Bombshell”  
The three dots signaling Toni was typing again show up under the text bubble, and Cheryl can feel the nerves rising with every passing second.  
“Relax, I mean it sounds like a plan, poor choice of words…unless you're into it ;P kidding, but I had a really nice time tonight, hoping we can be friends?”  
Happiness washes over Cheryl, and she starts fantasizing about the idea of dating Toni. She didn’t know how she would explain it to people, and especially not to her mom, but she would try if it meant having toni.  
She typed out a reply: “I'd like that, I'd like that a lot”  
Cheryl hits send before pulling out of the parking lot and making her way back home. A huge smile plastered to her face. In that moment she didn't feel so alone.


End file.
